Analysis of overtopping wave energy converters with ramp angle variations using particle-based simulation

Abstract

An overtopping wave energy converter (OWEC) is designed to convert the kinetic and potential energies of overtopped waves into electricity. The performance of OWEC is closely influenced by wave characteristics such as wave height and period, un-derscoring the importance of optimizing their design for specific marine environments. This study utilized marine environmental data from the coastal region of Ulleung-eup and conducted numerical simulations using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method to analyze the overtopping performance of an OWEC under varying design parameters. Four models with different ramp configurations are proposed and evaluated. The hydraulic efficiency, derived from the overtopped flow rate, was used to assess and compare the performance of each model. Among the designs, the model with a ramp angle of 35° demonstrated the best performance. This study offers valuable insights into the optimal ramp design of OWEC for specific marine conditions and emphasizes the need for future studies incorporating three-dimensional simulations and experimental validation.